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<p data-start="0" data-end="224"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn widespread criticism after likening his family&rsquo;s postponed wedding plans to the wartime suffering endured by civilians, referencing Britain&rsquo;s resolve during the WWII blitz.</span></p>
<p data-start="226" data-end="686"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Speaking solemnly from outside a missile-damaged hospital in Beersheba, Netanyahu compared the recent Iranian missile strikes on Israel to the Nazi bombardment of London, and used the moment to highlight what he described as his own family&rsquo;s hardship. He revealed that his son Avner&rsquo;s wedding had to be postponed once again due to security threats&mdash;calling it a &ldquo;personal cost&rdquo; shared by his fianc&eacute;e and by Netanyahu&rsquo;s wife, Sara, whom he described as a &ldquo;hero.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p data-start="688" data-end="920"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">&ldquo;It reminds me of the British people during the blitz. We are going through a blitz,&rdquo; he said, before acknowledging the civilian deaths on both sides and adding, &ldquo;Each of us bears a personal cost, and my family has not been exempt.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p data-start="922" data-end="1272"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The comment was swiftly condemned across Israeli society and social media. Many saw it as out-of-touch and self-centered in the midst of a deadly regional conflict. Anat Angrest, whose son has been held hostage since the October 2023 Hamas attack, pointedly noted, &ldquo;That pain didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed by my family either,&rdquo; referencing 622 days of anguish.</span></p>
<p data-start="1274" data-end="1461"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gilad Kariv, a member of the Knesset, called Netanyahu a &ldquo;narcissist without limits,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;I know families who didn&rsquo;t have to postpone weddings&mdash;they will never celebrate them at all.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p data-start="1463" data-end="1765"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Others were equally scathing. Journalist Amir Tibon remarked that Israeli leaders who have lost children in battle would never think to draw attention to their own grief. &ldquo;But with Netanyahu, there are no surprises. Even in moments that call for humility, his instinct is to focus on himself,&rdquo; he said.</span></p>
<p data-start="1767" data-end="1949" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The prime minister&rsquo;s remarks have only deepened criticism that after more than 17 years in power, he is increasingly disconnected from the harsh realities faced by ordinary Israelis.</span></p>
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

PM likens son’s postponed wedding to wartime blitz, sparking backlash over insensitivity during crisis

Netanyahu slammed for wedding remark amid war

PM likens son’s postponed wedding to wartime blitz, sparking backlash over insensitivity during crisis

June 20, 2025 | 17:03 IST